Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor Gets Priority Review for Cystic Fibrosis

The submission was based on positive results from 2 global Phase 3 trials

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Priority Review to the New Drug Application (NDA) of tezacaftor/ivacaftor (Vertex) for the treatment of patients ≥12yrs old with cystic fibrosis (CF) who have two copies of the F508del mutation or one F508del mutation and one residual function mutation.

The NDA submission was based on positive results from 2 global Phase 3 trials, which showed statistically significant improvements in lung function (percent predicted forced expiratory volume in one second, or ppFEV1) in patients treated with tezacaftor/ivacaftor.

The combination treatment consists of ivacaftor (marketed under the brand name Kalydeco), a cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) potentiator, and tezacaftor, a novel CFTR corrector. Tezacaftor is designed to address the processing defect of F508del-CFTR to enable it to reach the cell surface, where ivacaftor can further enhance the protein's function.

The FDA has set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target date of February 28, 2018 to make a decision on the NDA.